Top 10 Sexiest Men of the 1990s

Ethan Hawke has gone through several stages of sexy, but none quite as notable as ‘90s Hawke. Always gorgeous in an everyman sort of way, his relentless pursuit of the leading lady in films like “Great Expectations” is unapologetic, yet charmingly vulnerable. Though you probably first fell for him as the coffee-house guitarist in “Reality Bites”, which he followed up with a romantic cynic in “Before Sunrise.” All this is topped off with a set of icy blue eyes that can stare right in to your soul if you’re not careful. He’s the type of guy that would help a girl out at the grocery store, and visit the next week to ask for her number.

It’s no easy feat to be considered one of the sexiest James Bonds given the impressive competition in this category. 007 is the pinnacle of style and class, and Brosnan embodied this perfectly. There’s also something to be said about his tantalizing accent, which can make you weak at the knees if not prepared ahead of time. While Bond makes the argument he’s one of the sexiest celebrities of the ‘90s, films like “Dante’s Peak,” and even “Mrs. Doubtfire” a few years earlier corroborate this claim. It may not have been until the 2000s that he won Sexiest Man Alive, but this was a result of one heck of a resume in the ten years prior.

Antonio Banderas could read us Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions agreement and we’d be unable to avoid blushing uncontrollably. Luckily, he goes beyond this with his portrayals of the revenge-seeking mariachi in “Desperado” and the masked Mexican swashbuckler, Zorro. Both of these helped to pave the way for his erotic Cuban businessman in “Original Sin” in the early 2000s, which is a film that contains some of the steamiest love scenes to grace the silver screen in recent memory. While his dark brown eyes are unmistakably inviting, he also has an aura of mystery surrounding him, and even manages to make a cat sound sexy.

1993’s Sexiest Man Alive is sophisticated and witty, without seeming too aloof in the process. He can rock a denim jacket one moment, and a two-thousand-dollar tuxedo the next. This level of class is perhaps best exemplified in “Pretty Woman” – but it’s his willingness to age gracefully and take on romantic leading man roles that make him all the more appealing. The man cannot only act, but he can perform, as he demonstrated in the 2000s with the Broadway musical adaptation of “Chicago”. He’s the perfect counterpoint to anyone who may argue that successful sex symbols lack real talent, and he oozes charisma in nearly every second on screen.

Look, not everyone wants to spend his or her entire career as a sex symbol. Some may choose to make us drool for a decade or two, and then focus on other things after that. Sure, the man’s got some city miles on him these days, but Kilmer had the best jawline in Hollywood in the late ‘80s and ‘90s. It’s not easy to work opposite Tom Cruise in his prime, but Val managed to do that, and produced a slew of steamy, and notable roles in the years following, such as Jim Morrison in “The Doors,” Bruce Wayne in “Batman Forever” and more.

For anyone who’s unaware, we’re about to drop some very sensational intel —Marky Mark made quite a name for himself in the Calvin Klein industry before his acting career. His musical career is also delightfully cheesy, providing a down to earth impression of the celebrity that isn’t typically associated with your run of the mill underwear model. His breakout role as an aspiring porn star with a *ehm ehm* large personality in “Boogie Nights” established Wahlberg as a new kind of triple threat, and the Massachusetts native is still making ladies swoon today.

Look, the word charisma has been thrown around a couple times on this list, and that’s because these fellas all appear to have great personalities to back up their looks. The Fresh Prince, however, has charisma levels that’re off the charts! There’s a reason every girl in Bel-Air was obsessing over him. Crossing from TV to film is never easy, and successful actors oftentimes continue a TV typecasting. Smith’s humorous energy remained, but the added bad boy mentality, and some extra time at the gym made him even more desirable. Will Smith is one celebrity we wouldn’t mind getting’ jiggy wit.

Take your pick, as there are multiple irresistible versions of Keanu that were popularized in the ‘90s. After he grew out of the loveable slacker Ted, we were introduced to the fit, action hero of movies like “Point Break” and “Speed.” These sexy men of the law helped him branch out, and he ended the decade with the more restrained, but equally alluring Neo. And while he’s certainly got flow like few others, Keanu knew how to rock the shirtless look as well. We have our strong suspicions that he’s unlocked the fountain of youth, as 1994’s retroactively awarded Sexiest Man Alive remains the perfect candidate to embark on an excellent adventure with even today.

Before his well-established reputation as Captain Jack Sparrow, which wasn’t too bad on the eyes we might add, Johnny Depp was the bad boy every girl dreamt about. With long, flowing hair, hypnotically dark eyes, and an ability to make a Tim Burton movie look sexy as hell, there were few others in the ‘90s that were in as high demand as Depp. He could typically be found with a leather jacket, cigarette, and that mysterious look just past the horizon that made him an enigma that was hard to resist. He could be sexy, quirky or both – whatever we needed him to be and that’s exactly why we love him.


Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Kurt Cobain


Nick Carter

Ryan Phillippe

It was an easy decision to place Leo at the top of our list. The tricky part was deciding what decade he peaked in. Going through a playboy renaissance in the 21st century, DiCaprio makes a case for the pinnacle of class, but all this pales in comparison to innocent and young Leo throughout the ‘90s. Whether it’s in “Romeo + Juliet” or “Titanic,” he has been head over heels in love on multiple occasions, and his sweet voice, dreamy eyes, and perpetual eagerness are hard to ignore. It can’t be denied: ever since he was asked to draw Rose like one of his French girls, he’s been irrevocably irresistible.

Do you agree with our list? Which ‘90s sex symbol did you (or do you) have the biggest crush on? For more easy-to-look-at Top 10s published every day, be sure to subscribe to MsMojo.